Click here for a SLIDESHOW of all the colored Steinhowel images. I like the way that the lion is attended by a human doctor!
M0021 = Perry514. Source: Steinhowel 3.20 (shortened). This is Perry 514. Cinnamon was an extremely valuable and exotic commodity both in the ancient Greco-Roman world and in medieval Europe, brought all the way from the “Spice Islands” of Indonesia. Compare the hypocrisy of the fox and the cat, #392.
21. The Lion-King and the Monkey. When the lion made himself king of the beasts, he wanted to acquire a good reputation, as is the custom of kings. He renounced his ferocious destiny of before and changed his habits; he vowed to consume food without blood. Afterwards, he began to regret this thing and, since he could not change his nature, he began to lead certain creatures away in secret, as a trick, and to ask if his breath smelled bad. And those who said that it stank and smelled bad, and also those who said that it did not speak or who were silent, he tore them all to pieces. Then he asked the monkey if he had bad breath. The monkey said that his breath resembled cinnamon, like the altars of the gods. The lion was put to shame by this flatterer, so much so that he spared him. But later he pretended to be sick. The doctors came right away and advised him to consume some light food which his troubled stomach would be able to digest. And since all things are permitted to kings, the lion said, "I've never tried monkey flesh; I'd like to give that a try."
